How many Have One of These ?

[Nyboy]

I have cornfields short walk from my house. Friends from city always amazed at how there are no fences and corn plant 3 feet from rode.I try to explain it is not eating corn, but they always have to pick some and bring home. I always put a few dollars in mailbox when they do.

 

[seedcorn]

Not that I want to encourage people to steal field corn, each ear is worth about $.04.

 

[ninnymary]

@seedcorn, I have to ask you a dumb question. So are there 2 types of corn or maybe 3, one used for making flour, a sweet corn for eating, and maybe one more for livestock?

Mary

 

[seedcorn]

All kinds of corn used commercially.

Waxy for corn starch.
Food grade-misnomer-what they use for moso-almost totally indigestible-as it's purpose is to make chips, flakes that stay hard in sauces, milk, etc.
Popcorn, sweet corn obvious.
Hi amalose for specialty markets.
Conventional corn for organic, non-GMO human consumption and non-GMO fed livestock ( growing industry in NE INdiana)
Field corn raised for all kinds of things where farmers select varieties based on price, salesman, company history, productivity, etc.
Field corn is used for sugar, corn syrup, alcohol, feed, food items,

 

[seedcorn]

@ninnymary Not a dumb question at all as AG is becoming a very specialized, computer, science oriented industry that no way can someone not in it, keep up. Those in it, don't....... It is about the products you eat, use, etc

 

[ninnymary]

So is flint corn the one they use for making corn meal?

Mary

 

[seedcorn]

Could be. commercial meal is whatever they buy-cheap ground corn is whatever they have.....

Commercial flakes/chips will use a flint background genetic type. They have standards as to density of kernel and color of kernel. They want a clear (reminds me of glass) so that their dyes on flakes will be a consistent colored product.

 

[seedcorn]

Some people raised on Silver Queen eat it fresh for sweet corn (yuck to me) grind it for meal (not me too gritty) and/or make grits out of it (once again never developed taste for it). Crazy part because of the type of hard starch it's not very digestible.

True story-Mexican children were sick from protein defiency from eating so much corn meal. Purdue university and Crow Seed corn worked on opaque-2 gene that greatly increased lysine levels. Solved problem but mothers wouldn't use it because it didn't have the correct mouth feel (not gritty) or right color (meal was pale looking).

 

[seedcorn]

Another true story, my g'pa in Tennessee would only feed dent types. When he sold his horses, buyers would always underestimate their ages due to having teeth. Most farmers fed flint types and their horses had their teeth ground down. He also liked the smoother, sweeter taste of dents over flints.

 

[thistlebloom]

Wow Seed, I guess we know how to get you talking! That was interesting and educational Thanks.